. >>> with the fiscal cliff looming, the white house today continued its hard line, insisting that tax rates have to rise for the rich, and warn that any more delays would ruin consumer confidence. there are signs of movement on capitol hill, but democrats are not willing to cut social security and medicare. and while some republicans agree the rich should pay more, they want to raise money by reducing deductions, not through higher tax rates. >> i don't care if you raised taxes 100% on the wealthy, you're not going to fix the deficit problem. >> the president has made clear that he will not sign a bill that extends the bush era tax cuts for those make mortgage than $250,000. >> billionaire warren buffett, an obama ally today wrote an editorial in "the new york times," calling for a higher minimum tax for the wealthy. >>> a shake-up in the middle east in politics today as an israeli moderate resigns. israeli defense minister ehud barack abruptly quit politics today, saying he'll only finish out his term. the obama administration had embraced him as a moderate influence on benjamin neta